


Sugar and Spice

by fangirls5ever



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lotor attempt baking, Canon Setting, Cooking, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hunk is truly magical, but baking is not among those many talents, hopefully tooth-rotting fluff, my attempt at humor, soft lotura, they are very talented space elves, zero angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-04 07:24:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14587968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirls5ever/pseuds/fangirls5ever
Summary: Lance, sharpshooter, red lion pilot, and apparently the only reasonable thinker among them is the first to realize their fatal mistake at breakfast, when the news of the departure is made:“But like, isn’t Hunk the only one of us who actually knows how to cook?”---In which Hunk is gone on a mission, Allura and Lotor try their best at baking, and the rest of the team Suffers (TM).





	Sugar and Spice

When Allura, Shiro, and Coran make the official decision to send Hunk and Pidge on a two-man mission to the Balmera, she is pleased with her decision only until breakfast the next morning. Lance, sharpshooter, red lion pilot, and apparently the only reasonable thinker among them is the first to realize their fatal mistake at breakfast, when the news of the departure is made:

“But like, isn’t Hunk the only one of us who actually knows how to cook?”

Silence falls among the remaining three paladins and ginger-haired advisor where they sit at the dining table, Allura folding her hands in her lap as her eyes inch wider, lips parting as though to protest, before they close again. The mission will take a week at least, with Pidge studying the living planet’s surface and Hunk gathering soldiers and crystals for the Voltron Coalition.

Living on solely food goo for a week is an… interesting prospect.

Very interesting.

“You don’t know how to cook, Lance?” Allura asks slowly, as though drawing out the syllables to allow just a few more moments of blissful ignorance. Lance gives a brief shake of his head, expression appropriately morose. Rapidly losing hope, Allura turns to Coran with a weak, “And you—”

“Sorry, princess,” the ginger advisor says, stroking one edge of his mustache as he straightens, adding, “Haven’t cooked since I first got my first intestinal eel from the castle mineral pas—”

“Thank you, Coran,” Allura says quickly, cutting him off just a moment too late. Lance blanches, one hand flying up to his mouth As Allura turns to the last remaining paladin. “And Shiro—” she catches his eye as he rubs his at forehead, features taught as he grimaces—“I don’t suppose you’ve had time to learn the castle’s kitchen system?”

The black paladin sighs, brows furrowing as he reaches his temple. “Sorry, princess, I would try to figure it out, but my head…”

Allura nods, looking down at her folded hands. “Of course, Shiro. If your migraines get worse, perhaps Coran could look into them. He’s quite proficient with the castle medical system.”

The advisor brightens at the mention of the machinery, wagging a finger as he exclaims, “Why, did I ever tell you all about the time I had only a butterfly knife and extract of gretoworm’s blood to treat myself from a fungal—”

A sharp cough drowns out the last of his sentence, Allura having clearly made the gesture again too late as she looks up to where Lance has changed from a pale white to a sickly shade of green, eyes wide as he chokes back retching noises.

“Sorry, Allura,” he says weakly, one hand clutching at his stomach. He motions vaguely towards the exit, muttering, “I’m just gonna… yeah, okay, bye.”

The castle doors slide shut behind him as he runs, the distinct sound of dry heaving reaching them just before the doors close completely.

Wincing, Allura looks to the others, biting back a sigh as she notes Shiro’s grimace and Coran’s already speculative expression at the black paladin’s possible injury. So everyone else is preoccupied. It’s fine. Totally fine. She’s competent, and definitely has the motivation to learn how to operate the kitchen systems. Maybe she hasn’t learned to use the food machines before, but there’s no time like the present, right? And she has a full week to do it, before she loses her willing (guinea pigs) (test subjects) samplers to Hunk’s tried-and-true cooking. Surely she, princess of Altea, pilot of the Blue Lion, and leader of the Voltron Coalition, can figure out how a few measly food machines work, right?

\---

Day two has Allura trying to strangle the insolent technology, having spent four mind-numbing hours smashing each and every combination of the buttons, and gaining the same product in result every time: bland green mineral paste.

If Hunk hadn’t seemed magic before, he’s fairly reached godly standards now.

Allura groans in frustration, head dropping to the counter. Lifting it just the slightest, she proceeds to bang her forehead against the metal surface, muttering, “Leader of the Coalition, paladin of Voltron, defender of the universe, defeated by _green mush _.”__

__

__At least Shiro and Lance have had as little success as her, if their morose expressions at breakfast were anything to go by._ _

__

__Still, a loss at something so simple…_ _

__

__Frustrating. Utterly frustrating._ _

__

__A bright chime from the interface pad at her hip makes Allura flinch, the robotic voice from the tablet deadpanning, “Requested transmission from Galra shuttle—repeat, requested transmission from Galra shuttle.”_ _

__

__Allura turns her head to the side so she looks out into the hallway, blowing a lock of errant white hair from her eyes as she says, “Identification?”_ _

__

__“Emperor Lotor,” the interface drones._ _

__

__Silence._ _

__

__A long moment passes before the tablet queries, “Decline?”_ _

__

__Jolting upright, Allura snatches for the interface at her side, hands scrabbling for purchase on its slick metal sides. “Connect!” she forces out, dropping the device to the counter as a pale blue screen shimmers into existence above it, familiar sharp features and yellow-gold eyes appearing at the center._ _

__

__“Princess,” the Galra Emperor greets, a faint trace of amusement entering his voice as he takes in her disheveled state, white hair beginning to slip free of its neat braid. Dressed in black with dark violet touches, he is the very picture of royalty even as he tilts his head to the side, curious. “Long day with the Coalition?”_ _

__

__“Lotor,” Allura sighs, leaning back against. Flicking at a strand of hair that’s fallen past her ears, she says, “Unfortunately, no. My problems have been a bit more… trivial, I suppose.”_ _

__

__“Trivial?”_ _

__

__“An annoyance, I assure you,” she adds, “it’s just simply not on a universal scale.”_ _

__

__The emperor raises a groomed brow, resting his chin on one gloved hand. “Do tell, princess. If it causes you this much stress, perhaps there’s something I can do to assist.”_ _

__

__Allura huffs out a laugh, noting the faint upward tilt of Lotor’s lips in response. “Unfortunately, your Majesty,” she teases, “I think this is even beyond you.”_ _

__

__“If it evades you, princess, I would not doubt it,” he says, and there’s a note of sincerity that makes her grin._ _

__

__“Of course,” Allura adds, resting her chin on her palm in a mirror of his gesture, “it would be rude to reject your assistance entirely. Two minds are better than one, you know, and I’m sure with your strategy and my quick execution, we could remedy this situation in just a tick.”_ _

__

__Lotor smirks, straightening as he leans back in his chair. “Even when we both lack expertise?”_ _

__

__Allura grins back, the expression impish. “Trust me, emperor, it’ll be more fun this way.”_ _

__

__“Intriguing.”_ _

__

__“Isn’t it?”_ _

__Lotor taps his fingers against the edge of the desk the transmitter rests on, gaze going distant as he considers her proposal. Finally, after a long moment, his eyes brighten, sharp canines flashing as he smiles._ _

__

__“Tell me, princess, where do we meet?”_ _

__

__\---_ _

__

__“This is… problematic,” Lotor admits, leaning forward to prod the deceivingly innocent looking machine. Having boarded the Castle of Lions and been introduced to the source of Allura’s irritation, Lotor is now quite taken with the ancient technology, gold eyes gleaming. The neat braid of white hair trailing down his back slips forward as he inches slowly closer, as though the proximity might increase his understanding. “I don’t suppose castle maintenance logs were kept in the archives?”_ _

__

__Allura sighs from where she sits on the counter beside him, arms crossed and legs swinging freely over the edge. “Maintenance, yes,” she says, “operation manual, no.”_ _

__

__Lotor’s brow furrows, the tip of a pink tongue sticking out as he focuses on the machinery. “Hmm…” Gaze sliding to the open panel beside it, he examines the buttons along it, clearly intrigued by the vague scribbles beside it. “They didn’t think to write the functions?” he asks, reaching forward to trace the lines of a particularly detailed tear-shaped image. “Or the symbols’ meanings at all?”_ _

__

__Allura shrugs. “Perhaps it was common knowledge?” she says helplessly. “I’m afraid I was otherwise engaged during my childhood.”_ _

__

__“Of course, princess.” Crossing his arms, Lotor leans back, gaze leveled steadily at the confounding machine. A quick glance about the smooth, surrounding metal reveals no secret hatches, no hidden panels—truly, why would such an advanced race make something so terribly difficult to operate? There must be something else in the castle mess room—surely they couldn’t have survived on mineral paste alone._ _

__

__“Do you rely on the machine for all your meals, princess?” Lotor asks, glancing over to where she watches him from the counter, something akin to camaraderie shining in her eyes as he, too, is unable to puzzle out the machinery. “Do you not have anything else to cook with?”_ _

__

__She hums to herself, considering. “I suppose,” Allura says slowly, “Hunk may have stored some ingredients in the far wall.” Waving to a broad panel along the room’s side, she adds, “I’m not sure what all of it is, though. Mostly he looks for foods similar to those on earth.”_ _

__

__“Excellent.” Stepping away from the mineral paste machine, Lotor approaches the storage door and presses his hand to the wall, the castle interface giving a short chime in response before the door slides silently to the side. Lotor pauses in the entryway, one brow arching as he takes one pace forwards into the space. Licking his lips, he turns to face her slowly, almost hesitantly. “Princess,” he says, “were you aware that there is, in fact, an entire kitchen in here?”_ _

__

__A beat of silence._ _

__

__“What.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second attempt at soft, fluffy Lotura and hopefully it turned out okay! :D The second part should be coming soon, but will probably end up being a little bit shorter since I got a excited and wanted to post some of the story early.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Any comments or reviews would actually mean so much to me—I read and comment back on every one ^^
> 
> Tumblr @lotura-fics


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